


so high above with you

by lazy_daze



Category: CW Network RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-23
Updated: 2012-12-23
Packaged: 2017-11-22 02:06:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/604627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazy_daze/pseuds/lazy_daze
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for <a href="http://spn-j2-xmas.livejournal.com/">spn_j2_xmas</a> 2012, for <a href="http://strangeallure.livejournal.com/">strangeallure</a>, who wanted air travel!AU! So here is movie-star!Adrianne/stewardess!Genevieve. Hope this suits, lovely!</p>
            </blockquote>





	so high above with you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [strangeallure](https://archiveofourown.org/users/strangeallure/gifts).



There was something odd about working on Christmas Eve, especially on a red-eye. Genevieve had business class, which was a mixed blessing - economy was pretty full, even on this flight, and people were irritable and rude on a Christmas Eve night flight even more than usual. On the other hand, economy was busy, and busy made time pass quickly; there were only scattered passengers in business class, the little privacy pods quiet and most of them dark. It was going to be a long flight.

"Alright?" Matt said to her under his breath as they passed in front of the restrooms. She smiled tightly and nodded. His sympathetic smile meant well, she knew, but it wasn't like she wanted any reminders that until a month ago, she'd been planning on spending the Christmas holidays with her girlfriend in Thailand. She'd had a ring and everything, was going to propose on the beach. Sarah hadn't known that, of course, when she'd dumped her, which Genevieve was pretty glad about. That way she could keep the mortification that they had had _very_ different ideas about the status of their relationship to herself.

So instead of warm romantic evening walks on the beach, she was picking up the shifts no-one else wanted, all the normal people too busy with family and loved ones over this stupid sentimental time of year.

She hadn't realised she was scowling as she started pushing the trolley down the aisle until she heard someone say, "Come on, it can't be that bad."

Genevieve blinked and refocused on the passenger in the pod to her right, an apology ready on her tongue - shit, she was supposed to be a professional, with a toothpaste-ad-worthy customer-service smile on her face, not a miserable glower - but stuttered to a stop when she actually looked at who was in the seat.

She'd noticed, distantly, a leggy blonde in sunglasses getting on the plane - because moping and still a little bit heartbroken or not, Genevieve would always notice a leggy blonde - but she hadn't looked close enough to recognise her. And now here she is, looking down at Adrianne Actual Palicki, Hollywood golden girl, ridiculously expensive sunglasses pushed up into her mop of short curly blonde hair.

Adrianne Actual Palicki smiled up at her encouragingly. "It is Christmas, after all."

"Oh!" said Genevieve, finding her voice, feeling her cheeks prickle with a hot blush. "Sorry, um." She dug out that smile, the wide bright the-customer-is-always-right one, and pasted it on. "I was in my own world. What can I get for you?"

Adrianne laughed softly, shaking her head. "Don't worry, you don't need to fake it. No-one wants to be working on Christmas Eve." She dipped her head in towards Genevieve, glanced around the empty pods around them, then darted a conspiratorial look up at Genevieve through her eyelashes. Genevieve felt momentarily lightheaded. "In case you haven't noticed, there's hardly anyone else here. I promise I won't tell."

Genevieve giggled and ducked her head, helplessly charmed and starstruck and just, Adrianne was so _pretty_.

"Well, thanks," she said. "I was sort of breaking the cardinal rule of air stewarding. You know, always look _really really_ happy."

Ordinarily she'd never make extensive conversation with a passenger, the schedule running pretty tight even on a transatlantic, but - she hadn't talked to anyone who hadn't also been secretly pitying her in weeks, there was no-one else in her row, Matt was covering the other side of the cabin perfectly well, and it was _Adrianne Palicki_.

Adrianne Palicki who was giggling at her. "God forbid air stewards are real people."

"Yes - we're actually robots. It's a state secret, so, you know, don't tell anyone."

Adrianne looked mischievously at her. "I won't. Except for when i sell the story to the National Enquirer for a million bucks."

Genevieve laughed. "Because you really need the money." She winced a little because that sounded a little rude, and neither of them had acknowledged yet that Adrianne was a megastar; but Adrianne just smirked and dipped her head in acknowledgement.

"Fair enough," she said. "I don't think they'd believe me, anyway."

Genevieve nodded. "Everyone knows we're grown in a lab."

Adrianne laughed loudly then, like it was surprised out of her, and she clapped a hand over her mouth, eyebrows raised. It was unfairly cute, and Genevieve felt warm and squirmy that she made that happen.

"Okay, honestly," she said, trying to school her giddy smile. "Can I get you anything? I do need to do my job, I feel bad i haven't even asked you if you want any complimentary snacks."

Adrianne tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. Her neck was long and elegant and Genevieve had to fight to stay focused. "I think - just an orange juice for now."

Genevieve nodded, and started to get it ready. "No wine or fizz? It is Christmas, after all..."

Adrianne smiled, and shook her head. For the first time, Genevieve noticed she looked kind of tired, a little worn around the edges. It was odd, seeing the real person once the shock of her Hollywood beauty wore off. Not that it made her any less alluring. "Not yet, I think. How does that work, by the way?"

Sorry?"

"Christmas. I mean, with timezones, when we're somewhere over the Atlantic. How do you decide when it's become Christmas Day, when it already is where we're going, and isn't yet where we've come from? Do you turn all the lights up just to wish everyone a Merry Christmas? Do we get gifts?"

Genevieve bit her lip on a smile. "You're kind of excited for Christmas for someone who decided to take a redeye as it happens. No, we - we don't technically change to London's timezone until we land, so. You get to decide when it becomes Christmas for you. And - we don't, but I'm sure I could rustle something special up for you."

Adrianne glanced up at her, and - shit, Genevieve honestly hadn't meant for that to sound so flirty, but in rewinding it in her head, it was sort of undeniable. She flushed again, could feel it, but Adrianne didn't say anything, though her glance lingered a second or two.

"Don't worry about it. Just stick a sparkly bow on those complimentary snacks and I'm happy."

Matt was trying to catch her attention from the other side of the cabin, and Genevieve sighed. "Sorry - I have to go do stewardy things."

Adrianne nodded. "Sorry, sorry for keeping you."

Genevieve shook her head fervently. "No, god, no, it's - I wish I could chat to you for the whole flight, but, you know. Safety first, and all that."

Adrianne grinned. "Go keep the good people of flight 719 safe."

Genevieve gave a dorky salute that she instantly regretted, and started to move down, pushing the trolley, when Adrianne said, "Wait - I mean, excuse me?"

Genevieve's heart gave a stupid little flutter, and she turned around probably embarrassingly eagerly. "Yes?"

"Sorry, I - what's your name?"

"Oh, I, uh - Genevieve."

Adrianne smiled slowly, and Genevieve wasn't thinking about the sun coming out from behind the clouds or anything as terribly cliche as all that. "Thanks, Genevieve. That's a really pretty name. I'm Adrianne."

"I know," said Genevieve automatically, then ducked her head. "I mean - I, uh - you know."

Adrianne just smiled again. "Speak to you soon."

\--

"Are you seriously flirting with _Adrianne Palicki_?" hissed Matt, swatting her on the arm.

"No!" said Genevieve, glancing nervously down the plane. "Of course not! She's a straight Hollywood star, you moron. I'm just chatting."

"I think you're flirting," Matt decided. 

"I think you should shut up." Genevieve looked back down at where she could just see where Adrianne had kicked her foot out into the aisle. She was wearing loose dark jeans and red Converse, which was both adorable and jarring, against the Adrianne Palicki Genevieve was used to seeing in gorgeous dresses and towering heels on red carpet photographs. This was the normal person underneath all that glamour, and it had not lessened Genevieve's enormous crush in the slightest.

"I think it's good," said Matt. "You should ease yourself back into flirting, after, you know. Start the healing process."

"I'm not made of glass, Matt," said Genevieve, exasperated. "It sucked, but I'm not about to break down crying. If I was flirting with Adrianne, which would be accidentally not intentionally because I'm not a moron, it wouldn't be because I was trying to _ease back into it_ after Sarah, because my entire life doesn't revolve around her dumping me - it would be because Adrianne is hot and nice and I _wanted_ to."

Matt was smirking now. "Good! So go do it!"

"Oh, I hate you."

"You love me. "

Genevieve was about to insist that really, no, she hated him, and she didn't need any friends anyway, she could just go live in a cave on a deserted island and be perfectly happy - when they were interrupted by the service light pinging on. From Adrianne's seat.

Matt gave her a filthy, smug smile, and shoved her down the aisle. "Go get her, lover...girl," he said.

_I hate you_ , mouthed Genevieve, and straightened her skirt as she headed towards Adrianne.

"Hi!" she said brightly, stepping up next to Adrianne, who smiled prettily up at her.

"Hi! Good, it's you. It would have been awkward if the other guy had come over."

"Um," said Genevieve. "Yes. What can I get you?" she asked, reminding herself that Adrianne probably just wanted a drink or something and that she had to stay professional and Adrianne hadn't just pressed the service light for the pleasure of Genevieve's stumbling conversation and not-so-sparkling wit.

Adrianne's face fell the tiniest bit, or maybe Genevieve was imagining it. "Oh," she said, "nothing, really, I just - are you busy? Sorry, look at me acting like a diva - you have your job to be doing--"

"No, no!" said Genevieve. "I - I just didn't want to assume you wanted to talk to me, I thought maybe you just wanted a drink or--"

Adrianne shook her head. "We sort of ruined that, didn't we? Let's start again. Hi! I'd like you to hang out here and keep me company for a while, but if you're too busy doing stewardy things, feel free to tell me to fuck off."

Genevieve giggled, a sharp surprised noise, and Adrianne smirked. Putting her hand to the side of her mouth, she stage-whispered, "Movie stars curse too."

"And I thought you were the ones who were robots!"

"We're just clearing up all sorts of myths today, aren't we," said Adrianne, looking relaxed and amused.

Genevieve grinned. "And i'd be happy to keep you company." She leaned againat the side of Adrianne's seat, while Adrianne settled into the other corner so they could face each other comfortably. "Economy is packed, like always, but there aren't many passengers back here. Not too many people crazy enough to fly over Christmas Eve."

Adrianne nodded. "Yeah, I wasn't expecting to be very busy."

"if you don't mind me asking, why are you flying at this time?"

Adrianne bit her lip. "My family aren't big on Christmas - my parents always go away to Aspen to ski - I _know_ ," she said, wrinkling her nose. "So I don't need to be with them. And I have promo to be doing in London in a couple of days, and for various reasons this worked out to be the best flight, timing-wise. I don't have anyone I really need to be with tomorrow, so."

Adrianne put on a smile, but it was very clearly a moviestar faking-it smile, and it made Genevieve feel at the same time sad - that Adrianne had that smile and could put it on so easily when she didn't feel it - and also sort of selfishly glad, because the contrast now made it pretty obvious that all the smiles Genevieve had gotten from her so far had been real ones.

"Me either," she said, honestly.

Adrianne tilted her head. "Oh, really? What has you working on this shift? Must be a real fight to _not_ work it."

Genevieve nodded; some hair fell from her pony, and she tucked it back behind her ear. "Yeah, I had - other plans, but they sort of fell through. So I figured I'd rather be working than sitting at home moping, you know?"

Adrianne smiled sympathetically. "Boy plans?"

"Uh," said Genevieve, heart giving a little kick in her chest, "girl plans, but essentially, yeah."

Adrianne didn't say anything for a long moment - her mouth opened slightly on a silent _oh_ and she didn't look away from Genevieve. Time seemed to warp and slow, and Genevieve could feel heat rise on her face again, and Adrianne didn't look away. _Is this a moment? Are we having a moment?_ Genevie thought desperately. Slowly Adrianne said, "She was an idiot, then," and Genevieve's stomach dipped hot and excitable.

"She," she said, shakily, and licked her lips, "she just wasn't the one."

Adrianne blinked, dropped her eyes clearly and unmistakably to Genevieve's mouth, then quickly down to her lap.

"I think I might get that drink," she said, then looked back up at Genevieve, all calm easy smile, but there was colour on her face, a red glow to her ears and the apples of her cheeks, and Genevieve's fingers tingled.

Holy shit.

"Red, white or champagne?"

Adrianne gave a little smile. "Champagne," she said, "It's Christmas, after all."

Their fingers brushed when Genevieve handed the glass to her, like every cheesy romcom that had catapulted Adrianne to fame, and their eyes caught. Genevieve smiled, helpless, her belly feeling light and fizzy as the bubbles popping in the glass they held, and Adrianne smiled back, then caught her red bottom lip between her white teeth. "Thanks," she whispered. Their faces were close, now Genevieve had bent over to give her the glass, and Genevieve could see details you missed in glossy magazines - the individual hairs of her eyebrows, pores of her skin, a tiny rough part of dry skin on her bottom lip, the bump of the mole between her eyes. The scent of her perfume, the feel of her body heat.

"You're welcome," said Genevieve, and striaghtened back up, because it wasn't like there was anything else she could have done.

"Geneveive," said Adrianne.

"Yes?"

"You'll find her." For a moment she looked incredibly sad; then she closed her eyes and sipped at her champagne, Genevieve watched the softness of her lips pressed against the rim, watched the movement of her throat as she swallowed.

"i have to," she said, gesturing apologetically. "I have to go and get dinner organised." She didn't want to leave, because there was something insane and improbable and delicate but undeniably _there_ , but - but Adrianne was a film star and Genevieve was just an air stewardess with a job to do.

\--

When Genevieve came by again with the dinner cart, Adrianne was asleep. Her long legs were curled awkwardly under her seat, all that expensive leg room wasted. Her hands were clutched tight in the thin blanket, and she looked exhausted. In a beautiful sort of a way, of course. Genevieve stood looking at her for a long few moments, wondering if that had even happened, earlier - if that connection she'd felt was something she'd imagined, or if Adrianne had felt it too. If sometimes, that could happen between two people who didn't know each other, met only by chance, or if that was just the stuff in movies, the fictions that romantic saps like her would go and watch and fantasise about it happening to them.

Movies had always told her that magical things happen at Christmas; but surely they didn't happen to normal people like Genevieve.

Adrianne stayed asleep for the rest of the flight, and Genevieve made sure to distract herself with the job, attending to the few other passengers in her section - not many, but as tended to happen with business class, fussier than your usual. If she looked over at Adrianne's seat more than might be warranted, well, she was only human.

Five hours later, and the stewards were doing a security sweep as they prepared for landing. Weak daylight was seeping through the cabin, the grey light of a dank Christmas day as they circled London.

Adrianne stirred as Genevieve passed, and Genevieve bent down.

"Adrianne," she whispered. "I need you to put on your seatbelt and stow your tray. Is that okay?"

Adrianne blinked sleepily, and looked up at her. She smiled slowly, and whispered, "Hi."

Genevieve smiled back, wondering if Adrianne was even fully awake. "Hi."

Adrianne blinked a couple of times, then shook her head slightly, looking around. "Right," she said, and coughed. "Right." She busied herself with her seatbelt, and glanced up at Genevieve. "I, er. I took a sleeping pill before the flight. Sorry, I - I don't usually sleep well on flights, and I wasn't - I didn't think I'd mind not staying awake. But I - I liked, uh. Talking to you. I didn't mean to fall asleep on you."

"It's okay," said Genevieve slowly. Adrianne sounded flustered, unsure, like she was the one who was starstruck. "I didn't mind. It was nice - talking to you too. You're - not what I expected."

Adrianne smiled shyly at her. "What did you expect?"

"I - I dunno. Not this, not you."

The captain spoke over the intercom, telling all steward staff to take their seats for landing.

Genevieve bit her lip. "I have to-"

"I know. Go. I - thanks for talking to me." Adrianne ran a hand through her hair, errant blonde curls bouncing over her forehead and making Genevieve ache with the urge to gently brush them away. "You're - I hope you find what you're looking for. You deserve to be happy, I think."

_i think I've already found it_ , Genevieve thought wildly, but didn't say that, of course, that was crazy. "You too," she said instead. Adrianne just bit her lip and nodded.

When the plane had landed, the captain wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, and everyone started filing off, Genevieve stood with Matt and the other staff at the exit, thanking everyone for flying with them. Adrianne stopped when she came to Genevieve, her hair perfect, her sunglasses back on her face, her Gucci carryon clasped in a perfectly manicured hand. She shifted it to her elbow and reached out, took Genevieve's hand in what could have been a handshake, until she brought her other hand up too, held Genevieve's between her own. Her hands were warm and soft and Genevieve's heart pounded fierce and happy in her chest.

"I," said Adrianne, then shook her head and looked down. "Thanks," she said, and dropped both of Genevieve's hands, nodded twice. "Thanks."

Genevieve wanted to say something - but _stay_ was impractical and _can I have your number_ was just embarrassing and impossible - you didn't ask that of a global star when you were just a normal person, even if it hadn't felt anything like that when they'd looked at each other.

Adrianne left the plane, head held high, glancing back just once.

"Um," said Matt, staring wide-eyed after Adrianne, then back at Genevieve with something that might be pity but also awe.

"Don't," said Genevieve.

\--

Genevieve spent Christmas day sleeping off the jetlag in a hotel room in Bloomsbury, waking up once it was already dark and watching mindless television until she fell back asleep. It wasn't her most auspicious of holidays, but she mostly didn't dwell on the fact it was Christmas, or anything other than basic human needs like sleep and food and wine. She figured wine was a legitimate human need in certain situations. 

Her dreams, on the other hand, were stupidly full of Adrianne, and she woke up on the 26th with a start, sometime in the late morning, feeling disoriented, confused, horny and generally full of an aimless longing that lodged itself deep in her chest. She scrubbed a hand at her breastbone irritably as she sat up, and realised with a jolt that the ache no longer had Sarah's face on it.

It was progress, but possibly not in the right direction, because now, instead of a legitimate ex-girlfriend, she was pining over a film star.

She took a shower and had some food, and took a walk in the streets around the hotel; London was almost eerily quiet, everyone inside, eating and relaxing and enjoying the opportunity Christmas afforded to do nothing, while Genevieve felt a restless in her bones that no amount of walking around would settle. A restlessness that it only felt like oe impossible unattainable person could settle.

She went back to the hotel once the cold was biting too sharply through her coat and thin scarf, and it felt like a dream when she turned on the television and saw Adrianne. Like she'd never woken up from last night, like she'd pinch herself and wake up with a start to a world where Adrianne wasn't smiling at her.

Of course, it was only on the television, and there was no reason for Genevieve's breath to come short and her fingers shake a little.

She sat cross legged on the bed, not really able to stop smiling when Adrianne did, a reflex, really. It was a talk show; Genevieve wasn't familiar with the host, but the questions were generic enough, and Genevieve remembered Adrianne telling her that she was over here to do promo, so it shouldn't have been that much of a surprise to see her, but holy shit, anyway.

Adrianne's smile was perfect, white and even, and her hair gleamed bright and joyful in the studio lights.

"When did you get in to the UK?" the interviewer was asking, generic friendly smile on his face, no spark of real interest in his face.

"Yesterday, actually!" said Adrianne, brightly. "An overnight transatlantic on Christmas Eve is an experience. You keep looking around at everyone else on the plane, like, why are we doing this?" 

The audience laughed politely and Genevieve said "Oh my god!" aloud to her hotel room, because she was on that flight and it was like it made it real, seeing Adrianne Palicki, version: Movie Star talking about it.

"That can't have been much fun!" said the interviewer.

"Ah, it was alright. There was a cute steward I got talking to, so that was a perk." Adrianne gave a coy smile, and Genevieve got up and turned off the television because she there was no way she could process that. She walked in two right circles around the room and sat down on the floor, then got up again and turned the television back on, kneeling on the floor in front of it because the bed was too far away and _oh my god_.

"You're currently single, correct?" the interviewer was saying, and Adrianne nodded. 

"Yes, that's right."

"What do you look for in the perfect man? What would it take for you to break your single status?"

Adrianne laughed, and her smile changed halfway through from her fixed movie star one to something more uneven and genuine, that tugged at Genevieve's stomach because she remembered it.

"i think - for me? It's making the initial connection. It's feeling that something between you and another person. Someone who makes you smile, someone who sees you for who you are. Even when you weren't looking for it, you just know when you make a real connection with someone. And for me, that's important, that moment where you just know there's something there. That's where it starts, even with something as simple as saying, 'Hi'."

Genevieve couldn't see anything but the soft smile on Adrianne's face, couldn't hear anything but the rushing in her ears now that they'd moved ot discuss her new movie. _Someone_. The gender neutral pronouns roared at her, and then - wasn't that exactly what happened? They'd made a connection, and maybe it hadn't just been her that felt it.

Except it wasn't like it mattered, because Adrianne was there, in some brightly lit studio, and Genevieve was in some nameless hotel, going back to New York on another red-eye over New Year's Eve, and that was the end of it. Adrianne probably didn't mean any of it - it was probably just something romantic and mysterious sounding bullshit to help promote her latest romcomn. Maybe this was still a dream. Maybe Sarah's rejection had done something more significant to Genevieve than she'd realised and she was currently hallucinating.

Or maybe she'd just have to live the rest of her life knowing she'd nearly had a chance with Adrianne Palicki - not just the movie star but the sleepy girl with too-long legs and red Converse, curled up looking too big and too small at the same time in an airplane seat - and let it slither through her fingers.

\--

Or maybe she'd see her again, black sunglasse and Gucci bag, silent tall man in a suit behind her, small smile tugging at her mouth as she ducked her head through the low airplane door.

"Hi," she said, and Genevieve stared. The man in the suit entered behind her, then walked past them into economy, and Matt smirked, closed the door airplane door. There were no other passengers in business, and after a moment, no other staff as Matt silently disappeared.

"I--" said Genevieve.

"I bought out all the seats," Adrianne explained. "I asked the airline when you were working. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when I found out you were working the New Year's redeye. Can I - I'm sorry, I - is this weird? This is weird, isn't it. I think sometimes I don't have an idea any more of what normal human behaviour is and I'd love to blame Hollywood but I think I'm just a gigantic weirdo--"

"Shut up," said Genevieve, something big and light and impossible unfurling inside her. "Shut up, just - be quiet a moment."

"Okay," said Adrianne obediently, and shut up, biting her lip and just staring at Genevieve, looking - beautiful and real and _there_ like Genevieve had not expected even in her wildest fantasies, which, especially in the past five days, had been pretty wild.

"You bought out all the seats?" said Genevieve, finally, because everything else was too big to say, right now.

"Yeah," said Adrianne. "I wanted to see you. I kept thinking about you. I was going crazy." She looked Genevieve up and down, then stepped in close, two, three steps, until she was right in Genevieve's space, and Genevieve could smell her again, her light perfume, hairspray; sense the heat of her body. "And I wanted. I wanted to kiss you, if that's okay?"

Genevie wanted to say, _but you don't really know me_ and _so it wasn't just me_ and _I felt it too_ , but she just nodded, brought her hand up and touched Adrianne properly for the first time, curled her hand around the back of Adrianne's neck and tugged her down, rising up onto her tiptoes to reach her for a kiss, a hot and gentle press of their mouths that made Genevieve shiver from head to toe.

"Oh," whispered Adrianne when they broke apart.

"Yeah," said Genevieve in reply. "Hi."

Adrianne smiled. "Hi."

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic of] so high above with you](https://archiveofourown.org/works/745191) by [exmanhater](https://archiveofourown.org/users/exmanhater/pseuds/exmanhater)




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